Between the Shadows

It still continues...

6

Damae

We have been walking for hours, Thorsen still hasn’t caught up, and I feel like I am burning from the inside out. The cloak does not provide enough coverage from the brutal rays of the sun. I might die out here before the trials and before Thorsen has the chance to keep his promise of killing me first.

The sun is finally past its peak and starting to set. I dismount Luck and give him some water as well as drink some for myself. This isn’t good. I won’t have enough water for the final day in the desert tomorrow. My body is sore, and my will to continue is almost gone. I don’t know why, but the only person I want to see right now is Thorsen. He is my enemy, at least he is someone else to talk to, or talk at, since he doesn’t answer anything I say.

I start to set up my sleep sack. This is as far as I am willing to go today. I need rest, and so does Luck. I sit down on my sleep, take a deep breath, as big as I can, with the sand that is scraping my throat. This desert is brutal. I fall back onto my sack, and I can feel my body wanting to give up. I haven’t made it two days on my own. Why do I think that I can survive the trials?

As I am lying there watching the last light of the day fade from the sky, I can’t help but think about the dream I had last night. That was the first dream I had about my mother since she died. Nalmaire always told me about our mother coming to her in her dreams when she was troubled or had big decisions to make. I wonder if she is doing the same for me. I never really believed in that sort of thing, someone watching over you even when they are dead. But with the Gods and Goddesses and magic, I guess weirder things could happen. I hope it is true that she is still here for me and watching me, but in my heart, I know it was just a random dream.

“Damae, I am here for you.” I hear my mother’s voice behind me. I turn, and there she is, in all her glory, standing in the same spot I saw before. The sea air warms my skin, and the breeze flows through my hair.

“This is just a dream, you aren’t really here.” I stand facing her. I take in her features, her auburn hair flowing in the wind, her emerald eyes bright, and her smile can light up the whole world. It takes everything in me not to run to her.

“I am here for you.” She reaches her hand out to me. I take steps towards her, and just as I am about to feel her touch, I am dragged away from her, and everything goes black.

……………………………………..

I snap up from my sleep.

“Fuck.” My breaths are coming short and quick. I rub the palms of my hands over my eyes.

“Well, that was dramatic.” I hear a deep voice say over my shoulder. I turn quickly and see Thorsen sitting on top of his sleep sack and staring at me with a look of worry on his face.

“When did you get here?” I ask with a yawn.

“When you were in the middle of taking your beauty rest,” he chuckles, “I could have killed you so easily. Should start sleeping with one eye open, Danger.” He is playing with one of his knives, weaving it through his fingers as if it were second nature.

“Then do it.” I lay over onto my stomach, resting on my elbows. “You say you want to do it in the trials. Why wait?” I smirk.

“Because that would be more fun. Killing you here would be too easy.” His grey steel eyes lock onto mine, the light of the moon reflecting on them; they look brighter at night.

“Prove it.” I sit up onto my knees.

“What?”

“I said, prove it,” I say deliberately slow.

“I already did, back in the crappy town that I saved your life in.” He looks away, paying attention to his knife.

“Ah, you’re just scared.” That caught his attention. His body goes rigid. I stand, taking slow steps towards him. “I think I am finally starting to figure you out, Thorsen Drake. You try to be scary, but deep down you care. You kissed me. Then saved me, threatened to kill me, then saved me again.” I am standing in front of him. His line of sight is right at my center. I watch his eyes start at my toes, to my thighs, to my center, to my stomach, and stop at my breasts for a second before he bends his neck, and his eyes land on my lips.

“You’re wrong.” His breath is quicker; he is holding back. I can tell there is something he is holding back. I bend over, my lips inches from his.

“I am not. I-” and in a matter of a second, he pulls my wrist, I fall to my back, and he is on top of me. I feel his chest rise and fall with mine. His lips are only an inch from mine. My heart rate increases, and my body warms under his.

“I just killed six men for you, Danger. I didn’t even think twice about it.” His breath sends goosebumps down my entire body. A warmth shoots down to my core. I should be scared since he had just admitted to murder, but there is something about it that turned me on. I swallow hard. I feel his hand on my waist slip under my shirt. "I. Am. Not. Soft."

He slams his lips onto mine. I mold into him as easily as he does with me. I run my hand through his hair. His hand explores higher onto my ribs and under my breasts. The warmth of his hand and his lips sends another wave of need through me.

I use my weight and turn us, so I am on top. Without letting my lips leave his, I grab my dagger and pin it to his neck. I feel his smile on my lips.

"Like I said, soft."